We enjoyed a BEAUTIFUL day on Saturday, February 20 for our second annual Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser in Okotoks. The sun was shining and everyone was feeling the love as teams journeyed around town in their brightly coloured CNOY toques for this year’s socially distanced event.
Community Spirit and Social Distancing We are so very grateful for the generous support we received from lovely souls all around our AMAZING community, including many wonderful local celebrities who helped us raise awareness for this important event during the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone from foothills country singer George Canyon to local councillor Ed Sands, our MLA R.J. Sigurdson and his wife Leanne, our MP John Barlow, and local businesses including Acreage Development Solutions, Century 21 Foothills Real Estate and CIR Realty Okotoks. We also want to give a special shout-out to RBC in Okotoks for leading the way as our community sponsor- their generous support was appreciated even more at a time when we know so many local businesses are struggling with restrictions caused by extended public health measures during the pandemic. CNOY 2021 by the Numbers In this year like no other, we are so grateful to everyone who contributed whatever they were able. A total of 61 walkers and 25 teams hustled to raise over $14,000 for BCO and the Okotoks Food Bank! Building a Legacy of Compassion and Hope Although we deeply missed being able to walk together to raise awareness for those experiencing cold, hurt and hunger across Canada, we couldn’t be more excited for CNOY next year! In the meantime, we will pay forward all of the kind support we received with warm meals and essentials for people who are struggling in our community. Together, we are creating a truly resilient legacy of compassion and hope, and we just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who got involved from the bottom of our hearts. Until next year Okotoks! #CNOY21 #fundraiser
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Team BCO is dusting off our parkas and winter boots, and getting ready to hit the pavement to help those in need. On February 20, we will be co-hosting our second annual Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) fundraiser with the Okotoks Food Bank Association. What is CNOY? CNOY is a family-friendly walk that raises money for local charities working to help people experiencing homelessness, hurt and hunger across Canada. COVID-19 and Public Health Restrictions This year more than ever, CNOY is all about community- how we can work together (even when we can’t physically be together,) to help those in need. Due to current public health restrictions, CNOY 2021 will be held virtually in Okotoks, with all participants choosing their own routes to walk in town, either individually or in socially distanced teams. A Legacy of Kindness and Charitable Giving Last year, our inaugural CNOY event inspired over 120 participants to come together, demonstrating the resilience and compassionate spirit that makes our community such an amazing place to live. They walked a mile or two in the shoes of the hungry, homeless, and vulnerable, and in doing so raised over $15, 000.00 for local charitable initiatives led by BCO and the Okotoks Food Bank. This year we are building on that amazing success, increasing our fundraising goal to $30,000.00, with 11 teams registered so far and more joining every day. How Can I Get Involved? Visit www.cnoy.org to donate, register to walk or start your own team to join in some good-natured competition! Together, we can make sure nobody gets left out in the cold!
We became members of Okotoks & District Chambers of Commerce.
Our fall fundraiser left us speechless, the support within the community, Town of Okotoks and from the Okotoks and District Chamber of Commerce was immeasurable and it allowed BCO to create a new level of awareness of those in need in our communities and how we are all connected, including the importance of seeing each other. Our Christmas Feast fed 128 people, including 56 children, within 27 families. Every child had a present under the tree. So many supporters this season made this event the biggest act of kindness to date! Huge thanks go out to Okotoks Sobeys, Hallmark Does Hair, Pure Envy Salon, We Wash Windows, Pet Valu Okotoks, Okotoks Culture & Heritage, RBC, Excel Benefits Inc, iDental, The Eagle 100.9, Okotoks Western Wheel Newspaper, Linda (our Christmas angel for making stockings), our Calgary angel who made delicious treats, everyone who nominated a family in need (it's so important to look out for our neighbours during the holiday season), and all of our amazing volunteers who helped bring it all together and deliver the Christmas Feasts to each of our families. We had an article in Okotoks Living magazine, creating more awareness for our local community of how we offer a hand up and our future aspirations for those in need. We received an early Christmas present and got our official status as a Registered Charity! And none of this could have happened without all the support we received from all of you, our volunteers and from our communities throughout Alberta! Thank you. We have amazing plans for 2019, and we would love to have you join us! Follow us on Facebook to stay up-to-date with our latest news. Happy New Year, Team BCO BCO's upcoming September 8th Fundraiser and Silent Auction Event in preparation for the fall season's Essential Drive and Christmas Feast was featured this week in Okotoks Online! Check out the article here to read more about what we've been up to: https://okotoksonline.com/local/baby-it-s-cold-outside-gearing-up-for-fall
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About BCO
We are a charitable organization based in Alberta, Canada. We are devoted to helping the homeless through various fundraising events, clothing and essentials drives, and our eventual goal is transitional housing. Archives
January 2029
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